East Cape Electrical Advisory & Inspections

East Cape Electrical Advisory & Inspections We offer an electrical inspection service, to verify compliance with the electrical regulations, and

13/08/2024

And it's here, SANS 10142-1 Edition 3.2 let the fun begin. Will have to sit with Ed 3.1 and 3.2 and see what's been been changed, added or dropped. The SABS used to send out just the amended pages, now we have to buy the whole book again, not a very happy chappie. Guys, get up to date asap, let's keep our region of the ECA up to date. As far as the Solar story goes, there is still much debate going on around various items, but the DoEL has stated that a Single Phase Tester may issue COC,s for solar installations, including the DC component. This has upset many contractors and I can understand why, especially when you see how some guys got their SPT licence and the standard of some of the work out there. Hopefully with time, all these problems will be resolved, but in the meantime, let's all work together to improve industry standards and build a name for being the best electrical contractors around.

21/08/2023

Continuing with the theme of illegal installers doing PV installations. The installation must either be done by, or supervised by, an Installation Electrician or a Master Installation Electrician. A Single Phase Tester may not work on PV installations unless under the supervision of an IE or an MIE and the SPT may not issue a COC for a PV installation. The same applies to the installation of batteries and an inverter. The reason for this, is that an SPT may not work DC, which is what comes from the batteries and from the PV panels.
Another part of the regs states that: nobody may connect or permit to be connected, any electrical installation or part thereof, to the supply, without a valid certificate of Compliance having been issued. In other words, the owner must first have a COC in his hands, before the PV supply may be switched on. Further to this, before the contractor may begin with the installation, full details of the installation must be submitted to the Supply Authority (Eskom or the local municipality) for approval. Once the installation has been completed, the Supply Authority must again be advised thereof, so that may check the installation complies with what was approved. It may be tedious, but it could save a life or the property.

06/04/2023

A major market in South Africa today is Photovoltaic (PV) panel installations. So, what are some of the problems faced by clients who have systems installed. A good starting point will be in the Occupational Health & Safety Act, Act 85 of 1993 as amended, March, 2009.
a) A registered person shall exercise general control over all electrical installation work.
Basically, this is saying that a registered person must be involved in the installation.
b) To be able to undertake electrical installation work, the person must be a registered electrical contractor.
That's clear enough, not a registered electrical contractor, no can do the work.
c) To be a registered electrical contractor, you have to either be a registered electrician or have a registered electrician as a full time employee.
So, there are many other clauses in the Act which exclude unqualified people from doing such installations, but we all know that the great motivator, money, has brought many unqualified people into the arena.
d) A registered person shall issue a valid certificate of compliance for any electrical work that he/she does.
And of course the act says that only a registered person may issue a certificate of compliance.
The onus is on the client to ensure that he/she receives said COC, and yes, that is also in the Act.

03/08/2022

Quite some time has passed since I last posted anything. Firstly, I see that the DEL has doubled our registration fees, but still allows us to register for three years at a time.
One thing that does bother me, is the number of electrical contractors who are leaving our shores. Sad to see them go, but I wish them every success for the future.
Another matter which is troubling me, is the number of people out there, who are not registered electrical contractors, but are doing electrical installation work. This is totally illegal according to the OHSACT, which states that if you do electrical installation work for another person, you have to be registered as an electrical contractor, with the DEL. The OHSACT also defines electrical installation work as: the installation, extension, alteration, repair of an installation and further states that for all electrical installation work carried out, an electrical certificate of compliance is to be issued by the person overseeing or doing the work, who in turn must be a registered electrician.
Failure to comply with the above can result in severe penalties as the regulations are an ACT of parliament and therefor any person found in contravention of the above, will be charged criminally, if found guilty in a court of law, the person will receive a criminal record, over and above any fines or jail time imposed. The law also says that no person may connect, or permit to be connected any electrical installation or part thereof, to the supply, without an electrical certificate of compliance having been issued for such work. The ACT also stipulates that it is the user/lessor's responsibilty to ensure that he/she receives a valid certificate for all electrical work carried out on their installations. Very few electrical contractors comply with the above and most homeowners aren't aware of it, leaving them open to prosecution.

21/07/2021

It's been quite a while since I last posted something. Just over a year ago the SANS10142-1 Edition 3 came into force. At that time we were given a year during which time the old 4 page and the new 2 page COC's could be used. Now only the 2 page COC may be used, but, you may add as many pages as you like, in fact the more the merrier. The more detail you have in your COC, the better protected you are. One of the tutors which we had as apprentices had a lovely saying, CYA, or, cover your ass. We have now added or KEB, kak en betaal, which only South Africans will understand. What must be remembered, is that for every distribution board installed there there must be a section covering the number of circuits and points, as well as the tests. This means that in an installation having a Main Board and 4 Sub Boards would then have a COC issued wherein there will be the COC, 2 pages, for the Main Board, plus at least another 4 pages for the Sub Boards. I prefer to have separate pages for the circuits and points, separate pages for the inspections and separate pages for the tests. Taking the above installation, I would then have an additional 12 pages for starters. The SANS 10142-1 is the minimum safety requirement and the COC, as available from the ECA, is the minimum certification for a single DB installation. You may add sketches, drawings, photo's and any other details which you may have, to clarify your COC. Under section 3, Description Of Installation, you need to write as detailed a report, of the work which you have carried out, as possible. This is what you will be signing for and if there is any ambiguity or vagueness, this could come back to haunt you. Hopefully, with the above, I have given contractors a bit of insight into the completion of the new COC. Later I will cover the actual tests. Take care, be safe and remember to earth.

03/11/2020

Ok, so the latest SANS 10142-1 Edition 3, came into being in July 2020. I am amazed at how many electrical contractors are not aware that it has been published and how many of them who are aware, have not yet bothered to obtain a copy. It is available in both digital and hard copy. I prefer the digital version, much easier to locate sections using the search function than paging through hundreds of pages. In Edition 3, there is now a section on embedded power, all types of alternative power. What I am particularly happy about, is the section covering PV panels. This means that every PV installation must now have a COC issued for it. Because of the DC section of the installation, panels, voltage regulator, batteries, inverter, interconnecting cables, this portion can only be COC'd by an Installation Electrician and not by a Single Phase Tester. The installation, according to the law, may be done by anybody, but, if that person is not a Registered Electrician, then that person must be under the guidance, instruction and supervision of an Installation Electrician. If you wish to ensure that the contractor whom you hire, is legit, preferably hire one who is a member of the Electrical Contractors Association,(ECA). Be safe, not shocked and remember, the law requires every owner of an electrical installation to be in possession of a Valid Electrical Certificate of Compliance for each and every installation which he owns. Also, under the same law, every owner/lessor of an electrical installation, is responsible for the safety, safe use and maintenance of that installation. Should you have any questions regarding your electrical installation, whether it be on the safety side or the legal requirements, please drop me a line and I will endeavor to answer all questions.

04/05/2020

Hi all
The lockdown levels seem to be creating a lot of confusion for contractors and clients. Normal construction work may commence again in level 2. As per the OHSACT, alterations and/or additions to premises are defined as construction work and the site becomes a construction site, therefor electrical installation work may be done under level 2. Inspections for the issuing of COC's and the rectification work required for the issuing of a COC is not classified as construction work and may only be done once we are in level 1. Hopefully, many of the local electrical contractors will survive the current situation and be in a position to continue to operate, once all this is behind us. Hang in there guys, hope to see you all on the other side.

02/12/2019

So, the new SANS10142-1 Edition 3 is now out for public comment. That will be 60 days. Then back for any changes, proof reading, final approval, and printing. I should imagine it will hit the stands, sometime around May/June 2020. One of the major changes, is going to be the COC, or rather the Test Report. The COC, page 1, remains unchanged, but pages 2,3 & 4 are condensed into 1 page. An attempt has been made to remove duplications and irrelevant information. A new addition will be the COC for reticulations. All multi building developements which will have internal, or private reticulations, will have to have a COC issued, by the contractor, for the reticulation.
Something else which I would like to inform electrical contractors about, OHSAct, Act 85 of 1993 as amended, Electrical Installation Regulations. In this document, it makes the electrical contractor responsible, should he find something on an installation which forms an immediate danger to life or property, it is his responsibility to disconnect said circuit and if in his opinion the fault constitutes negligence on the part of a previous contractor on site, he is to notify the Chief Inspector, in writing, immediately. A full description of the fault, with photo's, if possible, to be submitted. Now here in lies the problem, should you not do so and should something go wrong, you as the last electrical contractor on site, may be held responsible. Advice, when inspecting an installation and see something seriously wrong, advise your client, disconnect the circuit and take pic's, of both the fault and the disconnected circuit. Back in the days of my apprenticeship, one of the tutors always said, CYA (cover your a......). The law in South Africa, states very clearly, that all laws must be freely available to the public, therefor the OHSAct may be downloaded from the Government web site, for free. Get it, read it, digest it, or your a..... may end up in a sling. Take care, work safe, make sure you get paid. Till next time.

03/09/2019

Quite some time has gone by since my last posting. What I would like to cover this time, is the result one gets after having done an inspection for the issuing of a COC. Two aspects which I want to discuss are: 1) the requirements under the law and 2) the client's reaction to the inspection report.

Requirements under the law: If during the inspection, you find a fault which is life threatening or constitutes a fire hazard, you must disconnect that circuit from the supply or the supply from the installation. Next you must notify the supply authority and if, in your opinion, the fault is due to negligence, you must notify the Chief Inspector. You can imagine the reaction of your client, if half or all of his installation is disconnected from the supply.

Client's reaction to the inspection report: But it has been working like that for years. Just disconnect that and remove it. Why must I now pay to have that installed, when I am moving out. But it was like that when I bought the house. There are many more of these comments which we get from clients. You try to explain to them that the this is what the law requires and they immediately start to argue with you.

One of the examples which I like to give is: there are many vehicles on the road, yes they are working, but are they road worthy.

Also, remember, the seller wants a kite, the buyer wants a Lear jet. I have had many disgruntled buyers request that I do an inspection for them, to ensure that the installation is compliant and that the COC which they received is in fact valid. Very often neither comes up to standard and the previous contractor has to be called back. In some cases, the threat of legal action was required before any remedial work took place. To me, this is a slur against the trade of electrical contracting and a disgraceful practice.

To the prospective clients out there, verify the electrical contractors registrations, before hiring him/her.

To the electrical contractors out there, come on guys, work to the code and manufacturers specifications and don't forget the consumers protection act.

Safe working and healthy living, till the next time.

15/05/2019

I recently was asked to inspect some work which had been done by another electrician. To my amazement, it was one of the neatest electrical installations i have seen, in a very long time. The work in the distribution boards was exceptionally tidy, all the internal wiring was done around the edges of the DB, the bends were neatly done, 90 degrees. Both the neutral and earth bars were fully accessible. The connections to the circuit breakers, etc, were almost perfect. The insulation went right up to the terminals. This inspection was an absolute pleasure. Hats off to this electrician.

Some of the things which we regularly come across and are non compliant are: 1) Joints in joint boxes and switch boxes, made using strip connectors. Strip connectors should only be used for connections to light fittings. All other joints should be ferruled and crimped. 2) Wire loops as bridge pieces in DB boards. Purpose made busbar should be used wherever possible. 3) Socket outlets fastened to boxes, using only two of the screws. 4) DB's not fully labelled. 5) DB's missing blanks. 6) Knockouts missing in DB's and not blanked off. 5) Where the DB is inside a cupboard, the sign for the cupboard door missing.

As can be seen from the above, mostly minor things which have to be done before a COC can be issued.

Often electricians forget the part about Manufacturers Specifications, which is stated in the SANS10142-1 code of practice and only do the bare minimum as contained in the code. It also says in the code that, you may add any additional safety measures, but may not do any less than is specified.

Always think, if this was my installation, with my children or grand children playing in the house, workshop, garden, what would I want as protection against the possibility of one of them getting shocked, or of my house suffering a fire.

To the clientele who may be reading this, always use Registered Electricians, Registered Electrical Contractors and for peace of mind, use ECA (Electrical Contractors Association), members. Their work can be guaranteed by the Association to the value of R20 000.00.

Remember also, when using any electrical appliance, ensure it's safety and use it correctly, for your own safety.

28/04/2019

I've been rather busy of late and all the holidays don't help. Had a client in a bit of a pickle and would not be able to help her before next Friday. Took a chance and asked if we could go there this afternoon, she agreed. They bought the property a while back, received an Electrical Certificate of Compliance but have had some problems from day 1. A more recent problem was a circuit breaker for a plug circuit tripping. Plugged in on the circuit were a dishwasher and an automatic washing machine. Decided to do a load test and see how much is being drawn by the 2 machines, not enough to trip the circuit breaker, worked out that 1 of the machines must have faulted and that whilst it was in the throes of packing up, caused the tripping of the breaker. Then came the other problems. Light fitting in the entrance hall has never worked, opened the 2 lever switch, no fault there. Opened the light fitting. The house wiring is connected to the light fitting wiring, using screwits. Removed the screwits and re-did the joints, light working. Next, the passage light fitting, also never worked. Opened the 2 lever switch, 1 was a 2 way switch, with only a few volts showing on the meter, but, on all 3 wires, induced voltage. Tried to trace the other side of the 2 way switching, found a 4 lever switch, fairly new compared to the other switches. All 4 were 1 way switches, 1 was a spare. In the wall box were 2 wires, ends taped up. At some time the switches had been replaced, the person doing the work, not knowing how 2 way switching works, tried connecting the other switches and left off the wiring for the 2 way switching. Sorted out the problem and there you are, passage light working. This is the sort of thing that happens when unqualified people do electrical work. A very good reason to stick to only fully registered electrical contractors, who only employ fully registered electricians. Of course the best way of ensuring this, is to contact the ECA, (Electrical Contractors Association), local office. For the old Ciskei / Border / Transkei areas, the telephone number is 043 726 6359 and the good lady manning the office, is 1 very helpful lady who goes by the name of Ellen. For your own safety and peace of mind, give her a call, before you have any electrical work done and always insist on receiving an Electrical Certificate of Compliance.

19/04/2019

After not having posted for time, a problem experienced previously, has reared it's ugly head again. I was recently hired to inspect an installation and to perform the necessary repairs and issue the COC. The main problems found, electrical work done by tenants. When a landlord does not keep an eye on his tenants and what they are up to, it can be very costly to the landlord.
The OHSACT, Act 85 of 1993, Electrical Installation Regulations, make it very clear that the owner of the installation is responsible for the safety, safe use and maintenance of the installation.
The installation which I inspected was in a very bad state and the stuff installed by the tenant was so far from being legal, it is truly scary.
Something which also bothers me, is the issuing of COC's.
The OHSACT is also very clear on this score; Firstly, a COC must be valid, Secondly, only a Registered Person may issue a COC, Thirdly, a COC must be issued for all installation work. Again referring to the OHSACT, it clearly defines installation work as: the installation, extension, modification, alteration and repair of an installation, also the connecting of machinery at the supply terminals of such machinery. This clearly means that for all electrical installation work, a COC must be issued. The ACT further states that: No person may connect or permit to be connected, to the supply, any installation or part thereof for which a Valid Certificate of Compliance has not been issued.
What does this mean, only that the owner, tenant and any other person involved or present at the time the installation or part thereof is connected to the supply, and no COC has been issued, under the ACT, they can all be charged and if found guilty, can be sentenced to jail time and will receive a criminal record.
Now we all know that under normal circumstances, nobody will ever know, but it is those abnormal circumstances that are our undoing. Something goes wrong, somebody is injured or worse is killed. A full investigation is then undertaking. One of the first things asked for is the COC. Should there be no COC, the owner / lessor is for the high jump, unless he can prove that all responsibility for the installation was passed to the tenant, in which case he is in the clear and the tenant is now in the dwang.
As can be seen from the above, it is a very bad idea doing electrical work yourself and it is advisable for landlords, in their lease agreements, to make the tenant responsible for the installation, but also to include in the lease agreement, that no alterations, extensions, modifications or repairs, may be done to the installation, without the landlords written consent and that whatever work is done on or to the installation, will have a valid COC issued for such work.
As always, be safe, hire the services of an ECA member, electrical contractor.

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